The Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL) is poised for growth in the next one year. There was a brief lull due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we are now targetting to achieve a turnover of around ₹1,000 crore in the next couple of years, said Chairman of APSFL P. Goutham Reddy.
He addressed the media after inaugurating the expansion project at the APSFL facility in Andhra University, along with the Minister of IT and Heavy Industries Gudivada Amarnath and Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy, here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said that APSFL was right now catering to about nine lakh domestic consumers and about 40,000 commercial establishments. “We intend to increase it to 20 lakhs by the end of this year and 50 lakh by next year. We have plans to scale it up to a ₹1,000 crore project and APSFL is working in tandem with the IT ministry of the State to achieve it,” he said.
Mr. Amarnath pointed out that APSFL is one of the cheapest modes of broadband connectivity in the country and it is in sync with the Chief Minister's vision of providing free Internet to all villages and the poor in the State.
Appreciating APFSL for providing three services such as Internet, TV and Telephone for ₹350 per month, he said, it was the cheapest compared to all private broadband service providers.
Mr. Amarnath also pointed out that it was with the help of APSFL lines that about 14,000 surveillance cameras are being run in the State and many schools in the villages, cities and towns are able to run the virtual classrooms under the Nadu-Nedu scheme.
Prof. Prasad Reddy pointed out that AU was ready to extend its facilities to APSFL, as it would also aid the university and its research initiatives.
Tera Software
Both Mr. Goutham Reddy and Mr. Amarnath reiterated that the alleged scam in the APSFL, committed by the company Tera Software, during the earlier TDP regime, will come to a logical conclusion soon, as investigation is on at a rapid pace.
Already three officials have been arrested for their alleged hand in the scam and about 18 others have been identified, said Mr. Goutham Reddy.
Not only the officials, but even the TDP leaders, including the earlier Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, will be booked if they had a hand in the scam, said Mr. Amarnath.
Price rise
On the rise in monthly subscription from ₹149 to ₹350, the APSFL Chairman clarified that post COVID there has been a rise in everything and it was because of that.
Agreeing that the connectivity had stagnated, he said, “The pandemic had brought everything to a standstill. We even had a shortage of boxes and chips. But now we are back on the rails and will be fast-tracking our projects.”
